Penny Wright Wika’s gift to create a scholarship for journalism students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney was nearly 60 years in the making. The 1965 Kearney State College graduate received several teaching awards in Kansas in honor of her commitment to journalism education. A longtime adviser of a weekly newspaper, yearbook and literary magazine at Manhattan High School, Wika was inducted into the Kansas Scholastic Press Association Hall of Fame in 2024.
While at Kearney State College (now the University of Nebraska at Kearney), Wika was editor of the yearbook and served on the staff of the student newspaper, The Antelope. Her zest for life and her desire to assist journalism students at UNK were instrumental in her decision to pledge $100,000 through the University of Nebraska Foundation to create the Penny Wright Wika Endowed Scholarship in Journalism.
Wika recently met with UNK student Jenna Heinz, a senior majoring in journalism and the inaugural recipient of the new scholarship. Heinz is from Deweese, Nebraska, and is editor-in-chief of The Antelope.
Heinz shared her thoughts on earning the Penny Wright Wika Endowed Scholarship in Journalism and her career aspirations.
By Jenna Heinz
When I arrived at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, I quickly went from being a student to a student journalist. I’d chosen to pursue journalism because I liked to write, but looking back on it, I knew little about the field I was entering.
A few days into my first year, the student newspaper adviser emailed and invited me to meet with him. What I expected to be nothing more than a “Welcome to UNK” meeting turned into me becoming a reporter for the student newspaper. As intimidating as it was to immediately join, I did.
Throughout my first year, I learned what it means to be a journalist. I interviewed students, professors and campus leaders, wrote hard news stories and developed a fuller grasp of the impact our field can have.
After working as a reporter for The Antelope my first year, I moved into a larger role as news editor. The following spring, I took on the position of editor-in-chief. Leading the staff of The Antelope increased my confidence, both in myself and our mission.
I loved what I was doing at The Antelope, so I interned at my county newspaper over the summer. I wrote feature stories and photographed county events. Being able to tell stories back home was special. I saw firsthand the role that a newspaper plays in a community and how necessary it is, especially for rural Nebraska. The experience opened my eyes to new ways to serve others through my work.
A defining moment came for me during an interview in my sophomore year. Our chancellor, Douglas A. Kristensen, was retiring, and another staff member and I were writing a story about his career. The chancellor said something that has stuck with me ever since. He said, “I did things that in my mind were important and were fulfilling.” The chancellor explained that some jobs might be fulfilling but not important, or important but not fulfilling. He pushed the idea of pursuing a career that is both.
His words were prophetic. For me, journalism is just that ― important and fulfilling. My appreciation, passion and love for what I do have grown tremendously by working for The Antelope.
Being a journalist is a title I’ll never take for granted, so it’s an honor to be the first recipient of the Penny Wright Wika Endowed Scholarship in Journalism. I had the opportunity to meet Penny this summer, and it was a gift to hear from someone who was once in my shoes. She’s been a force in the journalism field, and our time together had a big impact on me. Penny’s support means the world, and it is something I’ll carry with me in my final year at The Antelope and after I graduate.
